


Thoughts

by galapagos



Category: Star Wars Legends: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, POV Third Person Limited, Single POV, Telepathy, how things should have gone down, throwback ship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-27
Updated: 2015-05-27
Packaged: 2018-04-01 11:16:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 2,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4017712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/galapagos/pseuds/galapagos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Atton learns to use his new force abilities to telepathically communicate with Dennera, the Jedi Exile.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Pazaak and Algorithms

**Author's Note:**

> This is such an old idea, but I figured I should edit my notes, write it up, and post it.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Atton tries reaching out to Dennera with the Force for the first time.

Atton reached out to touch the Exile’s mind. She was analyzing the time complexity of a new algorithm for the targeting computers. She felt Atton’s mind touch hers immediately and he felt a feeling of approval. She was proud of him practicing his new found skills. He has felt embarrassed and broke the connection. Atton’s embarrassment deepened when she came into the cockpit less than two minutes later.

“I’m so pleased you’re practicing. You lost the connection pretty quickly but it’s a good start,” she smiled at him as she sat in the copilot seat.

“Yeah, well. I’ll keep trying. Can’t promise I’ll be as good as you,” he tried to sound nonchalant.

“Oh, you have a lot of talent for telepathy I think. I’ve never been good at communicating that way. You and Kriea are only two I can pick up regularly. Well, and Bao-Dur, but he never answers.” She made force telepathy sound like tuning a radio, “Kriea, I only get because of the force bond.”

The Exile, Dennera, was swivelling back and forth in the copilot chair, thinking.

Atton looked at her sharply when she said it, before he could stop himself he blurted out, “Why can you pick me up?”

“I think it’s because our minds work on similar frequencies. We both hide behind things. You play Pazaak, I do the complexity of sorting algorithms.”

“Really?” he asked incredulously.

“Yeah.”

“So, we’re connected by way of being paranoid nuts?”

“Pretty much!” she laughed.

“Your trick is way weirder, by the way.”

“Weirder than playing Pazaak with yourself? I don’t think so.”

“You are such a nerd.”

She made a face, then her expression grew more thoughtful, “Actually, I think our connection may not be that simple. I felt your presence back on Peragus just before I found you. You and Kriea were the first people I had sensed since I lost my Force connection. I think I may have locked onto you, made sort of a mini-force bond, right then. I’ve always been really good at making force bonds.”

She continued swivelling back and forth.

“A mini-force bond? Now you’re making things up.”

“It’s a thing. I just invented it, but it’s a thing. How do you think I can always find you? Mini-force bond: works like a locator chip.”

Atton laughed. For a woman who had been a famous general and was a formidable Jedi, Denny could be awfully silly.

“I’m not silly! And I’m not a Jedi. Though, I must admit I am formidable,” she looked pleased with herself.

“Hey! You’re reading my mind. That’s cheating.”

“No, I wouldn’t without your permission. That was just a really loud thought and you directed it at me.” She smiled, “ _So who’s silly now?”_

The last part he heard even though she didn’t say anything. He smiled then too. They practiced talking that way for some time.  

“Atton, you’re getting good at this,” she said out loud after a while. “This is always useful in a fight. Eventually, we should be able to do this over some distance, too.” She got up and stretched, “I really do need to finish that new algorithm. The targeting program we have now is crap.” 


	2. Just like a Warrior Princess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Denny looks like a warrior princess on Dxun. Bao-Dur shuts Atton down.

Dxun was hot and humid. Denny had her dark, curly, chin-length hair tied into a loose tail but it was desperately trying to escape. The frizzy bits surrounded her head looked like a halo. She had changed out of her usual dark robes and was instead wearing a tank top, cargo pants, and combat boots. With her red armband, a blaster at her back, and the light sabers on her belt she looked like a warrior princess from a holovid. Atton smiled slightly. If she was the warrior princess then maybe, just maybe, he was the dashing rogue.

“Hey, Bao-Dur. Do you think the General and I…” Atton trailed off. Why was he asking this?

“No.”

“Hey! I’m not such a bad guy and she seems to like me at least a little. Right?”

“No.”

“Really?” Atton asked.

“I am not talking about this,” Bao-Dur walked away.

“Okay then,” Atton turned back to look at Denny one more time as she headed off with her team.

“ _Be careful,_ ” he sent Denny.

“ _I will, you be careful too,_ ” she replied.

“ _Will do Cap_ ,” he smirked, “ _Will do._ ”

 

 


	3. Dark Visions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Denny is shaken after visiting the Dark Side cave on Korriban.

He reached out to her when she came out of the dark side cave.

“ _Not now, Atton. Please._ ”

He dropped the connection immediately, respecting her need to be alone. A few hours after they had left the stupid planet, she came to cockpit. Denny lowered herself slowly into the copilot seat but didn’t say anything.

“You okay?” he asked aloud.

“Yeah,” she replied, but he didn’t believe it.

Denny put her head in her hands and they sat in silence for a few moments. Then Atton felt her reach out to him tentatively with the force. He accepted the connection, turning to give her a small, encouraging smile. Images, sounds, and smells flooded his mind. She was showing him what happened in the cave. Atton gasped as the connection broke.

“That was some weird shit,” he said softly. The vision had been pretty horrible.

Denny laughed, a quiet but genuine laugh, “That’s one of the things I like about you, you don’t over analyze.”

“Did you show the old hag?”

“No. I did not show Kriea,” Denny said seriously, “But I have a feeling she knows at least part of it.”

They were silent again.

“I wouldn’t turn on you like that you know,” Atton said softly, “Bao-Dur never would either.”

“I know,” she rose, and patted him on the shoulder, “But thanks for saying it.”


	4. Faux Hero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Atton and Mical do _not_ get along.

Atton eyed Mical. He did not trust him. Well, that wasn’t quite true. He did trust him to be noble, honorable, stupid, and a complete bore. Plus, it was creepy the way he followed Denny about like a lovesick bantha. Right now he was lecturing Atton on Denny’s virtues. Atton had been with her from the beginning on Peragus, he knew how wonderful she was. He didn’t need some nerf-herding, lap dog, johnny-come-lately to tell him.

“ _Johnny-come-lately? That was lame, even for you,_ ” he thought with a sigh.

“Look, Denny’s brilliant, I know. I’ve been here the whole time,” Atton said sarcastically, “Literally. So back off, she doesn’t need you playing selfless hero to try to get her attention. She likes real, honest people.”

Mical stiffened, “I was under the impression she was the hero,” he turn and left.

“She is, you just remember that,” Atton grumbled as finished with his adjustments and closed the wall panel.

He was just about to sit back down when Denny came in.

“Were you arguing with Mical?”

Atton went wide eyed, “How did?”

“You were pretty angry, I felt it while trying to meditate.” She flopped down in the copilot’s seat and swiveled to look at him, “Why were you arguing?”

“It was nothing, he just gets on my nerves,” that was mostly true.

Denny pursed her lips but didn’t call him out it, “I think I understand, but do try to get along, please? For my sake? I already have enough grumpy people to deal with, I don’t need you to be one of them.”

“Ok,” Atton said. “ _But you’ll owe me,_ ” he added mentally.

“ _Fine, you big baby,_ ” she replied with a laugh and headed back to her room to continue her meditation.

 

 


	5. Deep Breath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Denny neglected to tell Atton things. He doesn't like it very much.

Denny knocked on his door and entered. Atton was angry. Really angry. He knew she could feel it, that's why she'd come.

“You’re upset about Mical,” she said, “You figured out he works for the Republic?”

“You knew?” 

“Yeah, I didn’t tell you because, well…” she shook her head, “No. It wasn’t a good reason. I’m sorry, I should have told you.”

Atton’s mouth hung open, “What?”

“I wanted to find out what he knew, what they knew, and what they want,” she shrugged, “And I... I guess I screwed up. Not the first time you know.” Denny sat on the bed next to him, “Like I said, I’m sorry, I should have been honest with you.”

Atton swallowed, “Ok, and thanks. You didn’t have to apologize though, I mean, it’s your ship and you’re in charge of this,” he waved a hand in the air, “mission. And… I haven’t exactly been honest with you either.”

Denny watched him.

Atton continued. “I… Well, like not telling you about my past. And, you didn’t get angry with me, you were… It was stupid for me to get angry over something so stupid.”

They were sitting close together, Denny reached out and grabbed his hand and gave it a small squeeze, “Thanks Atton.”

She got up and left, closing the door behind her. Atton fell back on his bed, trying to take deep breaths to slow his heart rate.


	6. Sweet Release

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things did not go well when Atton dueled Darth Sion. Denny finds Atton after.

Atton fell to his knees, clutching the wound in his side.

“ _I’m so sorry Denny,_ ” he thought. He didn’t try to sent it to her, he didn’t want to distract her and get her hurt. He’d failed at trying to protect her and now that monstrous Sith was going after her as well as the witch.

“Stupid, stupid, screw up.” he muttered to himself as he sank to the floor and leaned against the wall, waiting for Denny and death.

It seemed like an eternity before she emerged. She looked tired and bruised, but otherwise fine.

“Atton!” she ran towards him and knelt on the floor in front of him. She started trying to look at his wounds.

“Hey,” he managed, pushing her hands away, “Long time no see.”

“Atton,” she sounded sad, he could see tears in the corners of her eyes.

She moved his hand and pulled his robes aside to see his wounds.

“Your eyes… That bad huh? Always was ugly, now the outside matches the inside I guess.”

“No, shut up and let me get a look at this” she said, fussing with his wounds.

“It won’t help,” he said but she ignored him. “Hey, look at me,” he reached out weakly, “It’s not fair, I was waiting to tell you.” He tried to take a deep breath but could only manage a shallow gasp, “I was supposed to save you but…” He was getting anxious, his vision was blurring and he couldn’t see Denny anymore, “No! I don’t want to die in front of you! I can’t bear it.”

Atton felt Denny reach up and touch his face as he continued, “I’ve loved you from the first moment I saw you. I meant every word, tried to play it off as a joke - wasn’t funny. Hah. Hurts, when I laugh,” he wheezed, “Hurts. You - you saved me. Jokes on me. Hurts when I -” he couldn’t talk anymore.

“ _I love you Denny,_ ” he told her telepathically.

“No! No! Don’t you dare,” she screamed at him. Her words doubled as she screamed through the force too.

He felt something press against his lips and he slipped into blackness.

 

 


	7. This is Not the End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone gets a second chance.

Bright light assaulted him. Atton struggled to open his eyes but couldn’t see. Then his eyes had time to adjust and he realized he was still in the ruined antichamber. Denny had collapsed on top of him and white light was fading from her.

“Denny!” he struggled to sit up and found he was exhausted but healed. “Denny! What did you do!”

He sat on the floor and pulled her into his arms, her mouth was hanging open. She was limp and ashen, like she was dead. He desperately checked for a pulse, his relief at finding it was overwhelming. Denny wasn’t dead, just unconscious.

Atton struggled to his feet and managed to get the jedi up and carried her back toward the ship. He was met there by the rest of the crew.

“Help me!” he shouted. Mical came rushing down and took Denny from him before he collapsed again. Bao-Dur came and helped Atton into the ship. Mira headed to the cockpit and got them off this forsaken rock.

“Is she going to be ok?” Atton asked.

Bao-Dur had followed Mical into the small med-bay and deposited Atton on a plasteel container.

“I believe so, she seems very weak. What happened? Did Kriea do this? Or the other sith? I felt something from her then nothing,” he seemed perturbed.

“No,” Atton choked, “It’s my fault. I - She saved me. I was dying and she did... something.”

Mical looked sharply at him then back to Denny, “She must have pulled a great deal of the Forces to be so weak.” He finished with his scan and his face softened, “It is not as bad as I thought. She doesn’t appear to be physically damaged in any way, just exhausted. She should awake in a few hours. I think you should stay with her. I will come if anything happens.”

Atton nodded and stayed silently by Denny’s side.

 

 


	8. It Ended with a Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Denny wakes up.

“Ow,” Denny moaned, “Sith spit, what a hangover.”

Atton woke too, “Denny!”

“Hi,” she said sitting up and leaning against the wall, one hand going to her head, “Ow,” she repeated.

“You crazy, deluded, idiotic,” Atton spluttered.

“Shhhh,” Denny said waving her free hand at him, “Force hangover, remember?”

“You could have killed yourself!” he hissed.

She looked at him, “You would have died,” she said quietly.

“Then you should have let me! It was stupid Denny, you’re much more important than me. Why-” he remembered how much he had said before passing out and stopped speaking.

“ _You told her, you ass,_ ” he thought.

Denny reached up and touched the side of his face. Then he remembered the pressure on his lips, “ _That was a kiss._ ”

"Hey," Denny said but Atton didn't respond. He was lost in his own thoughts; the recollection of he had thought were his dying moments.

“ _It would have killed me inside if you had died,_ ” Denny said in his head, “ _I couldn’t let you._ ”

“ _I’m not worth it,_ ” he replied in kind, “ _It - We can never be._ ”

“ _Why? You love me and I love you, you idiot,_ ” she snapped back with an angry look.

Atton was shocked, “You love me?”

“For a long time,” Denny stroked his cheek then leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips. “Even if you are a scruffy, weirdo who plays pazaak in his head.”

“Well..." he thought for a moment, "I’m your scruffy weirdo now, algorithm girl.”

He put his arms around her and kissed her thoroughly.

 

 


End file.
